Survey Reports from the Virginia Colonial Records Project

Centering on H.M.S. Richmond - 1778 to 1782

With cameos of  H.M.S. Fowey and Charon

These survey reports herein are typed summaries of actual documents still on file in England, but only covering events connected to Virginia during the colonial period of American history. This listing covers all references to the Richmond, but only a small part of the sister units H.M.S. Fowey and Charon. Each survey is a picture of the original, with the actual documents available through inter-library loan form the Virginia State Library.

The beginning survey shows that the Richmond was placed in command of all the 5th rate and below R.N. ships in the Chesapeake in May of 1781 until its capture in September of that year. All references to locations will be in American waters unless otherwise noted.

The following is a reference to the H.M.S. Fowey, and it should be noted that a commendation such as this was not given regularly, seeing how to do ones duty was fully expected,  especially to cover the entire ship's company.

There were lots of prizes taken, with the following just a few samples. In all most all cases, though, there are several ships present at the capture, causing lots of court time in sorting out who is due prize money afterwards. 

The following prize account shows the ship Cha. Hudson was commander of prior to his appointment as commander of the Richmond.

And of all things, notwithstanding the frequent Tucker name involved with R.N. living history units today, the actual Cha. Hudson is also involved with the Tucker name as follows:

Next is related the action with the French fleet off Cape Henry. Note the reference in the second paragraph, last line, to the French fleet having cut their anchor cables as they hurriedly avoided being caught bottled up in the York River as the British fleet approached. These anchor cables were attached to floating buoys so they could be found and used again upon the return of the fleet, and was what the Richmond and Iris were cutting free when the entire French fleet returned and captured both frigates. Both frigates were acting under orders at the time.

Cha. Hudson asks for a Court Martial to clear his name for the capture of the Richmond.

What Cha. Hudson was doing before his career in the R.N. in 1724.

As our Captain's Order Book was modeled after the original of H.M.S. Ardent, here is a few records of this vessel, to include a reference to the privateer Rattle Snake, a replica of which is afloat in Florida.